Can't Hurt to Ask
by DarkShadowFlame
Summary: It can’t hurt to ask – unless it's Téa, trying to ask Seto Kaiba to the school dance... or Joey, trying to convince a pal to bring his little sister as a date... or Yami, trying to explain why he should be the one to spend the night with Serenity.
1. Friendship and Trust

Can't Hurt to Ask – Chapter 1 : Friendship and Trust

Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh or any deliberate/accidental references to anything else.

Notes: This story is rather silly. I've wanted to write something like this for a while; I'm throwing my more refined writing out the window and concentrating on cute, goofy fluff. As per the dub this is taking place in California, otherwise it wouldn't be very culturally accurate; the dance is based entirely on my own school experiences.

* * *

"Community service hours?" Joey asked, staring up at Téa. 

She bent her head down to roll her eyes at him. "Mno," she said through a mouthful of thumbtacks.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Joey cracked, snickering to himself. Téa cupped her hand and let the thumbtacks fall into them carefully before turning to him with an annoyed pout.

"You think you're so funny," she said, shaking her head. Bracing her shoulder against the poster, holding it to the wall, she quickly shoved the thumbtacks through the paper and into the cork board behind it. Once she'd added support on all four corners, she stepped down the ladder and tilted her head, admiring her handiwork.

"It's crooked," Joey said, pointing up.

"It is not!" She shoved him in the shoulder playfully. "Come on, admit it. It looks great."

"Yeah, it's nice," he said, leaning against the ladder and studying the poster. "Did you make it?"

"No, someone on Student Council did. But she had softball practice after school today so I said I'd hang it."

The poster, done in cheery tones of silver, blue, green, and pink, advertised the Spring Fling. The Fling was the dance held at Domino High School every mid-April. _Come for dancing, food, and fun!_ the poster urged. _$10 for singles, $18 for couples_.

"You are going to the dance, right?" Téa questioned, putting away the unused thumbtacks.

"Of course!" Joey pointed to the first line. "Hello? _Food_? I'm there."

She laughed, grabbing the ladder and dragging it down the hall. "Help me put this back in the janitor's closet," she called over her shoulder.

"Sure thing," Joey said, grabbing the other end of the ladder and helping her carry it. "So you stayed after to hang the poster up?"

"Yeah," she responded, grinning at him through the rungs. "I figured it'd be nice to help out."

"Like you don't do enough already," he joked, squeezing through the door and depositing the ladder in the corner of the small closet. Téa placed the box of thumbtacks on a shelf, and they exited together.

"So why are _you_ staying after?" she questioned. "You're usually out of here like a rocket. You didn't get a detention, did you?"

"_No,_" Joey shot back, making a face at her. "I can stay out of trouble when I want to, thank you very much."

"Riiight," she replied, hiding a smile. "Then why _are_ you here?"

"Eh." He scratched his neck sheepishly. "Yugi's helping me with that algebra homework. Miss Pederson said we could use her classroom if we were just going to study."

"Where is Yugi now?" she wondered innocently.

"Probably back in the classroom," Joey responded, shrugging elaborately.

Téa stopped walking and crossed her arms, giving him a disapproving look. "You left him alone? After he stayed after to tutor you?"

"I heard you being all noisy in the hallway," Joey defended. "I had to see what was up."

She sighed and shook her head, grabbing him by the sleeve. "Come on, back to work, Wheeler."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Joey whined as she dragged him down the hallway.

"Oh. Hi, guys," Yugi said, looking up as they entered the math classroom together. "Joey, I figured out what your problem was. This is a _one_, not a _seven_."

"You can't do your homework because you can't read your handwriting?" Téa asked, rolling her eyes as Joey dubiously looked his notebook over.

"It could happen to anyone," Yugi said, smiling at her and shrugging.

"Yeah, but it _would_ only happen to Joey," Tristan said, sticking his head in the door.

"Hey," Téa said, surprised. "What are you doing after school too?"

"Studying math," Tristan mumbled sheepishly.

Téa crossed her arms and tapped her foot, mock-glaring at him. "So you abandoned Yugi too?"

"I don't mind," her small friend said earnestly. "They were only gone for a second. I had a chance to look over Joey's notebook. He actually understands a lot of this stuff, he should just take more notes in class."

"Well, there's a shocker," Téa smirked, as Joey crossed his arms and huffed.

"I was just getting a drink," Tristan declared, holding the bottle triumphantly aloft, as proof of his ventures. "I was really thirsty, and doing algebra always gives me a craving for sugar. Or a hamburger, but they don't have vending machines for those. Hey, Téa, did you see the posters in the hall?"

"I hung one of those," she responded proudly.

"The dance is on a Saturday this year," Tristan remarked. "They usually hold it on Fridays. I guess they got sick of all the girls who'd leave school early for their hair appointments."

Téa rolled her eyes as Joey and Tristan sniggered back and forth. Yugi smiled tolerantly, flipping through the textbook and searching for problems. "How about this one, Joey?" he suggested, pointing to number 28 in the section review.

Joey glanced it over and made a face. "This says 'trigonometry'," he complained, pointing at the heading on the page.

"Trigonometry is related to algebra," Yugi said patiently. "Since this is algebra year two, we're studying a little trigonometry before we actually start the trig classes."

"Eh…" Joey stared at the book, at a loss. "What's a cosine?"

Téa crossed her arms disapprovingly. "What were you doing the last two days? Sleeping?"

"Who asked you," he shot back, sticking his tongue out at her. "But since you were wondering… I was playing paper football with Tristan! Right, buddy?"

They all looked over at Tristan, but he paid them no attention. He was resting his chin on the soda bottle, staring dreamily off into space.

"Tristan?" Joey wondered, sticking his hand in his friend's face. "What're _you_ thinking about that made you get that goofy smile?"

"The Spring Fling?" Téa guessed. Immediately, Tristan jerked up and started blushing.

"So you were!" Joey crowed triumphantly, and abruptly his smile disappeared. "Waitasec. If you are even _thinking_ about taking my baby sister to the dance…"

"I… wasn't!" Tristan floundered defensively. "I was just thinking about Devlin, that's all."

"Duke?" Téa asked, an amused smirk playing across her lips. "Why? Are you going to take _him_ to the dance?"

As Joey guffawed and gave Téa a high-five, Tristan smacked his soda bottle on the desk and glared at them. "_No_. I just hope he doesn't get to Serenity first, that's all."

"_What_?" Joey yelped, and Téa wisely backed away. She sat on top of Yugi's desk, shrugging at him.

"Are you going to the dance, Téa?" Yugi asked, smiling at her and shoving the textbook away.

"So I take it you've given up on algebra with _those_ two?" she asked, giving the book a sidelong glance. "And to answer your question, yes! Of course I'll be there!"

"Are you bringing a date?" Yugi wondered aloud.

She felt the red heat rising in her cheeks, but stubbornly pushed it away. "Um- well, you see… I don't know."

"Don't know?" Yugi asked quizzically, tilting his head.

"See…" Téa blew out a breath, nervously playing with her bangs. "I sort of had someone in mind. But I don't think he'd be very interested in going with me."

"What?" Yugi asked, sounding shocked. "Who wouldn't want to go with you?"

She ducked her head, shrugging. "I don't really want to talk about it…" she mumbled. Téa peeked at Yugi through her curtain of hair: he looked nothing but concerned. But an ominous feeling had been rising in her stomach, and she wanted to get things out in the open. "Um, you didn't ask because, you know…"

It took Yugi a few moments to get it, and he hastily covered an undignified squeak with a cough. "No! I mean, of course I like you as a friend, but I wasn't planning for us to go together. I mean, if none of us have dates…" he motioned to a still-arguing Joey and Tristan- "We could go as a group, but…"

"Okay," she said, interrupting him and looking relieved.

"Anyway," Yugi said, shaking off how flustered he was and smiling at her again. "I'd give you advice, but I really don't think you need it, Téa."

"Oh? What would you say, then? Just out of curiosity?" she grinned, leaning towards him.

"Follow your heart," Yugi said seriously. "And never be afraid of it. If you're _nervous_… you might lose out."

She was quiet for a moment, then flashed him a brilliant smile. "Thanks, Yugi. I think I needed to hear that."

"Joey," Yugi said loudly, reaching over and catching his friend's sleeve. "We're not going to get any more work done. Want to walk home together?"

Joey glanced over. "Yeah, sure Yug." He started gathering his stuff together, addressing Tristan in an apparent continuation of their argument. "And Mai is off dueling in Europe, so even if I _did_ want to ask her- which I _don't_- I couldn't! So _there!_"

Téa grabbed Tristan's arm before he could retort. "Come on, big guy," she said playfully. "Walk me home."

Tristan glanced at her. "Téa, your house is right on the way to mine."

"Lucky you," she winked. "Things should be easier that way."

He laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders, dragging her close to him and bending her neck in a most painful manner. "See you guys," he called over his shoulder. Yugi was gathering up his books, but bobbed his head up and down happily, and Joey made a face at his friend and saluted Téa. "Later!"

They walked out the door- rather, Tristan nearly dragged Téa out the door- and Yugi finished cleaning up. Joey had already crammed everything into his backpack and was slinging it over one shoulder. "So, you excited about the dance?" Joey asked, glancing at Yugi out of the corner of his eye.

"Sure," Yugi replied, shrugging. "So who do you think Téa's mystery guy is?"

Joey made a face. "As long as it's not someone else who wants to kill you. Maybe it's Marik…"

Yugi rolled his eyes upward, blowing irritably at his blonde bangs. "I doubt it."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Joey said solemnly. "You know what Téa's like… she gets all excited about making a new friend, 'specially if he's already an outcast."

Yugi shook his head, amused with his friend's antics. "Very funny, Joey. So are we going together like always? As a group? You, me, Tristan, maybe Téa if she doesn't have a date… maybe even Duke. Unless he invites your sister," he added, grinning. He meant it to be teasing, but Joey's eyes widened in real panic.

"Aw, man," he moaned. "I've got to do something! I need to think…"

"Good luck," Yugi grinned, suppressing a snicker, but the joke went right over Joey's head.

"I've got it!"

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "That was pretty fast, Joey. Now if only you could apply yourself like this to math-"

"_You_ can ask Serenity to the dance!"

"…or maybe not," Yugi's voice trailed off weakly. "I'd hate to see how you'd mangle trigonometry like this."

"Yugi, what are you talking about?" Joey asked, glancing down. "Seriously, listen to me. You can take Serenity to the Spring Fling! We can call her from your house right away. Then Tristan can't take her, Duke can't take her, and I can still hang out with her at the dance! It's perfect."

"Why does it make a difference if _I_ take her instead of Tristan?" Yugi protested.

"So you'll do it?"

"Joey! That wasn't the question!"

"You said it yourself, there's no difference if you take her. So will you?"

"But-"

"C'mon, Yugi!" Joey turned pleading eyes on the shorter duelist. "As a favor? To your best friend?"

Yugi opened his mouth to reasonably point out that Tristan would be a very courteous date, that Tristan would never try anything funny with Serenity, and that the redhead would probably prefer going with Tristan anyway. But to his horror, his lips parted and a voice that wasn't his came out smoothly, "Absolutely. I'd be delighted to."

"Excellent!" Joey punched the air with his fist. If he noticed the sudden change in behavior, he didn't say anything about it. "I'll call her; I know her number," he said, dashing ahead and barreling up the steps into the Game Shop like he lived there with a shouted "Hey, Gramps!". Yugi followed slowly, his jaw hanging open.

_'Yami!'_ he sent in abject horror. '_Why did you just do that?'_

_'As a favor to a friend, of course,'_ his darker half replied, all too smoothly.

_'As a favor to _who?' Yugi asked suspiciously.

_'Joey! Of course.'_

_'Stop saying 'of course'. Nothing about this is 'of course'. You realize you just volunteered me to take my best friend's little sister to a dance? As a date?'_

_'If it bothers you so much, I'll be glad to take your place that night,'_ Yami replied with forced innocence.

Yugi paused halfway up the stairs. '_Waaaait… is that what all this is about?'_

_'I have no idea what you're talking about.'_

_'Yeah, I _bet _you don't. Joey is going to pummel you, you know that, right?'_

_'I promise to be a perfect gentleman.'_

_'So you admit it!'_

_'I said nothing.'_

_'You _like _her!'_

_'She's a very nice girl.'_

_'Joey _is _going to kill you.'_

Silence. Yugi shook his head, his eyes wide and thoughtful, and resumed climbing up the stairs. Joey was already in the Game Shop, leaning against the counter and talking on the phone. Grandpa was wiping off the counter and waved to Yugi as he entered the room, then took his rag to the back room to dust off the shelves.

"Yeah, I've missed you too," Joey was saying. "So anyway, good luck with that spelling test! Now, Yugi wants to talk to you."

His face paled as Joey handed over the receiver, a puzzled "_What?_" floating up from the other end. "You didn't tell her about the dance?" Yugi hissed, reluctantly accepting the phone.

"That's for you, as her date, to explain," Joey said patiently. "Come on, get on with it!"

Gulping, Yugi slowly lifted the phone to his ear. "Hi, Serenity. How are you doing?" He was blushing furiously, he could tell.

"Um… fine?" she tried. He thought she might be blushing as well, on the other end. He wondered fleetingly if she had any idea what was coming.

"Listen, my school is having a dance next Saturday and…" his voice suddenly stopped. His mouth kept moving, forming the words 'and Joey wants me to take you so you can come without worrying about Tristan or Duke fighting over you,' but they made no sound. Instead, for the second time that day, Yami picked up the flow for him. "And I'd be honored if you would accompany me."

He heard a muffled gasp from the other end. Then, slowly, Serenity asked, "Does this have anything to do with my brother?"

"Yes," Yugi replied, glad he could speak for himself again. "He was wondering if you'd mind coming with me." '_Was that tactful enough for you?'_ he demanded of Yami, slightly miffed.

_'You're always tactful,'_ Yami sent back in way of an apology. '_I'm sorry for taking control._ _I just thought it might be a good idea if I asked Serenity myself, seeing as I _am _the one interested in her.'_

_'So you admit you like her,'_ Yugi said halfheartedly. He cleared his throat. Serenity had just replied. "Sorry- I missed that."

"I said if you don't mind, I'd love to go," she repeated, sounding a bit more relieved. "I'm sure the dance will be fun."

"There's free food," Joey said excitedly, plucking the phone from Yugi's hands now that his best friend had completed the required task. "Well, once you pay to get in, of course."

"Pay. I almost forgot," Serenity said suddenly; Yugi could just barely hear her voice.

"Tell her I'll pay," he said hurriedly. "I _am_ supposed to be the date, after all. I'd better start acting the part."

"Aw, Yug, I couldn't make you do that-" Joey began to protest.

"Oh yes he can," Grandpa said, suddenly appearing in the doorway again. Yugi's face flared red, realizing that he must have heard the entire exchange. "Yugi has a paycheck coming, anyway."

"Grandpa, I don't get paid for watching the Game Shop," he said, confused.

"Well, then, I'm raising your allowance," he said with finality, giving both boys a wink. "Yugi, you've been working extra hours lately, to give me more free time. You deserve a little something extra."

Yugi blushed furiously, both at his Grandpa's praise and the shrug Joey gave at the telephone. "_Are you there?_" Serenity was asking.

"Yeah, sorry," Joey apologized. "I got sidetracked. Yugi said he'd pay, and there's no use arguing- we already had this conversation." Yugi smiled weakly.

"Um, all right," Serenity said. She still sounded slightly confused. "Tell Yugi thanks and that I'll see him there. I can get a ride from mom."

"Yugi, she'll see you there and she can get a ride from our mom," Joey recited obediently. He heard his little sister giggle.

"I'll see you there too," she added, her voice brightening. "It's _next_ Saturday, right?"

"Yep. In, like, ten days," Joey guessed. "Because today's Wednesday."

"Okay. See you then. 'Bye, Joey."

"Take care, Serenity."

They hung up the phone on opposite ends. Joey turned to Yugi and flashed him the peace sign. "Thanks," he said earnestly. "But will you stop moping around? It's not like taking my sister to a dance is such an awful thing!" He put his hands on his hips and scowled.

Yugi felt a sudden surge of guilt. '_Maybe I should just let _you _take over,'_ he thought sourly at Yami. "You're right," he said seriously. "I'll have fun taking Serenity. Thanks for trusting me."

"Of course I can trust you not to make any moves on her!" Joey grinned, clapping Yugi on the back. He must have seen the sudden worry in the smaller boy's eyes, however, and suddenly realized that there might be more to Yugi's hesitation. "I _can_ trust you… right?"

* * *

End note: This story is finished; there are three total chapters. I'll post the next one in a week (unless, of course, everyone hates this, heh). Next chapter focuses much more on Téa and her mystery crush (although, really, if you read the summary, you already know who that is, and that's probably why you're reading the story in the first place). 


	2. Hate and Neglect

Can't Hurt to Ask – Chapter 2 : Hate and Neglect

Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh or any deliberate/accidental references to anything else.

Note: So I'm not thrilled with the way I wrote Téa this chapter. Téa is portrayed as a bit more of an airhead than she really is – and she is _not_ an airhead, despite what the jealous and obnoxious bashers write. (Sorry, I couldn't help it.) Anyway, I'm just trying to show the stupider side of crushes – those silly, illogical little ones that just melt away your brain cells and make you do crazy things. (Raise your hand if you've ever had one of those!) Thanks, everyone, for the interesting reviews!

* * *

"Téa, Téa, Téa," Melanie chanted quietly. 

"Quiet. Quiet or I'll kill you," Téa threatened under her breath. She wiped her palms on her skirt nervously. It was times like these she was really grateful to have girl friends, because Yugi and Joey and Tristan and probably not even Ryou Bakura would understand her anxiety. Then again, it was times like these where she wanted to crawl under a rock and never have to deal with humanity again.

Especially not _him_.

She was well aware how typical this scene must look. Five girls, crammed down a side hallway, waiting with bated breath for _his_ approach so they could push Téa out and she could not-so-discreetly start a conversation with him. She was just as bad as any fangirl. He wouldn't give her the time of day. He was probably fed up with all this stalkerish behavior.

But she wasn't a fangirl- and if she had to be, she would be _Yugi's_ fan. That would either piss him off entirely or make her stand out.

"Oh my god, he's coming!" Miho squeaked, pulling her head back quickly. "We'll disappear, Téa, we promise- but you have to _go!_"

"_Ssssh!_" she hissed. Could they be any more obvious? He would hear them, whispering and giggling, from a mile away. And then when Téa just happened to emerge from the hallway… her face flamed red just thinking about it. This was absolutely pathetic.

"He's looking this way! Come on, girl! Now's the time!"

This was _not_ the impression she intended to make. She chewed on her lip briefly, then made up her mind. She turned heel and dashed down the hallway- in the opposite direction.

Brief cries of alarm drifted after her, quickly cut short as Seto Kaiba drew close enough to see down the hallway- and Téa wheeled out of sight just in time. Melanie, Miho, Shelby, and Andrea slowly spun around and stared at Seto for a moment with deer-in-the-headlights expressions. Melanie forcibly lifted the corners of her mouth in a smile.

Miho spoke first. "Duke Devlin?" she offered, waving with her hand back down the hallway Téa had just charged. She thanked whatever gods existed that they'd all been looking the other way so Seto really had no proof they were stalking _him_ and not Devlin. And Duke was a lot nicer about 'rabid fangirls', as Seto put it. He'd either laugh it off or try and flirt with one of them.

That wasn't really a punishment.

Seto snorted, shook his head, and continued down the halls as if nothing had happened. No one breathed until his footsteps were long gone.

* * *

Téa, meanwhile, hurried away, sending a silent apology to her friends for abandoning them. But it couldn't be helped, and they couldn't all have gotten out of their fast enough. Hopefully someone would come up with a fairly decent lie, even _if_ Seto could see right through it. 

She ran down a hallway parallel to the one Seto had been using, then took a shortcut through the gym and emerged triumphantly in front of him. She heard him approaching, his boots squeaking slightly on the floor. When he came into full view, and caught sight of her, Téa was bent over the fountain, calmly taking a drink. She lifted her head and patted at the corners of her mouth.

"Oh. Hi there, Kaiba," she said, smiling at him and casually shifting her backpack more firmly onto her shoulders. She hoped that her ponytail had stayed secure and that her appearance didn't betray her frantic dash, or for that matter her anxiety. "Having a good morning?"

"You're early," he stated. He continued walking, but slowed imperceptibly so that she could fall in step beside him. Her heart fluttered, and she would have swooned if she were safely out of sight and not in school.

_This is the stupidest, most immature crush ever. EVER._

"I'm always early," she said, shrugging. "There's a brief dance practice before school. It's the most convenient time to hold it, when people aren't always rushing off to clubs or meetings or such."

"Are there lots of girls in the dance club?" Seto wanted to know. His sudden question seemed way out of character, but Téa was so hopelessly in love that she put little thought to it.

_I am so stupid_.

"About a dozen of us," she answered. "Exactly a dozen, actually. There are tryouts for twelve places at the beginning of the year."

"So would that explain why there are four screeching fans hiding in the hallway and spying on Duke Devlin?" he questioned with a deadpan face. Téa quickly put a hand to her mouth, hiding a smile.

"I suppose so," she snorted. _Nice lie… we try our best not to inflate his ego any more_!

_He does have a swollen ego. I know this. Why do I like him?_

_I am so, incredibly stupid._

"We got out a few minutes earlier than usual today," Téa continued, choosing not to mention that it was an arrangement between her and Melanie, the co-captains, so they could be ready when Seto Kaiba arrived at school.

He shot a sidelong glance at her. "You don't look like you've been working out at all. Do you shower?"

It took her a few moments to respond.

_That was a compliment. Wasn't it?_

"Yes," she finally managed. "And blow-dry my hair so I don't drip all over my uniform." She smiled at him.

And Seto Kaiba smiled back

_He DID smile. I know I'm not imagining it._

_Okay, so his lips twitched. Relatively speaking, he might as well have been singing and dancing._

They were headed for the school's library, since both of them had first-period study. Téa saw the door looming close, and had never hated the library so much, and had never wished so badly that the hallways were longer. Her brain was moving slowly, searching desperately for an excuse to stall them a moment longer.

Her hand slipped, and her backpack slid down her shoulder. At the last moment, Téa regretted the decision. She was trying _not_ to look like a hopeless fangirl. She was trying _not_ to do anything too clichéd. 'Accidentally' dropping her papers everywhere was _not_ going to make her look good- and Seto Kaiba probably would just leave her there anyway.

But it was too late to salvage the situation, and her sudden jerk only sent her backpack flying. It knocked into Seto's briefcase, and both items spilled open onto the floor, scattering notebooks and papers everywhere.

"I am _so_ sorry!" she cried without thinking about it. Téa cringed, hoping Seto wouldn't kill her. Melanie and Miho and the other two girls would be the only ones to appreciate the true irony of it all.

To her shock, he didn't yell at her, or even go home that afternoon and quietly hack into her bank account. He rolled his eyes, blowing his bangs back impatiently, then squatted quickly and swept his pile into a neat handful, shoving them into his briefcase. Téa immediately dropped to her knees and gathered her things, clutching the whole messy pile to her chest. "S-sorry about that," she stuttered.

"It's okay. Mokuba's done worse." Although his face was impassive, and his voice now suddenly testy, Téa had a sudden clear moment of thinking.

_I'll never catch him in a better mood than this_.

So as Seto moved forward, and placed his hand on the door to the library, she blurted, "Will you go to the Spring Fling with me?"

Was that real shock on his face? She decided it was. Joey couldn't claim that he wasn't human anymore- Seto was showing actual emotion!

Bad emotion, it was true. At least he hadn't killed her yet. Again.

He turned to face her, studying her earnest blue eyes for a moment. Then he gave a short, decisive nod. Her heart briefly jumped, thinking he'd said yes, and she enjoyed a few seconds in blissful, perfect heaven, before his next words brought her crashing down to earth.

"I _thought_ I saw you running down the hall. And I heard the other girls whispering your name."

And without further ado, he opened the door to the library and went in.

* * *

Melanie quickened her step: she was approaching the library and saw Téa Gardner standing outside the door, looking rather stunned and clutching a disorganized pile of papers and books to herself. "Oh boy," she said as she got within earshot. "This can't be good." 

Melanie held the door for Téa, and the two girls slumped down in front of an empty table. "Talk," Melanie ordered, leaning forward.

Téa let her head fall onto the pile of papers. "This is so ridiculous," she said, her voice muffled. "I'm acting like a little girl with a crush. I _am_ a little girl with a crush. The stupidest crush on the face of the earth." She raised her head mournfully. "I can't believe how I just acted in front of him. That's not me at all. It's just… I turn into a blathering idiot whenever I'm around him. I hide in hallways and drop stuff on purpose and idiotic things just fall from my mouth… I hate this. I hate being me when I do this."

Melanie was staring at her, eyes open, silently shaking her head.

"Yes, I _do_ though," Téa said in frustration. "It's not that I hate myself. Because I love myself. I just turn into someone completely different around Seto Kaiba and I hate the giggling freak that I become!" She slammed a fist down on the table. "If liking him this much means this much agony and stupidity, I wish I didn't like him! Except that I can't imagine a stupid life without liking him! Mel, what do I _do_?"

Melanie was still shaking her head. Her black-rimmed eyes were still wide open. But, Téa suddenly realized, she wasn't staring at her at all.

She slowly turned around in her seat. And because she had prepared herself so well for the worst, she didn't even let out a shriek of surprise when she came face-to-face with Seto. Or rather, with the KC logo on his belt. She tilted her head way back in order to see his face. He was peering down at her, looking more curious and less homicidal than she'd feared.

"I grabbed your notebook by mistake," he said shortly, tossing it on top of the rest of her junk and sending a few papers blowing off the side. He didn't seem to care. "Nice doodles."

Téa risked a glance at the notebook. Biology. She sat next to Miho in that class. Miho would spend most of her time leaning over Téa's shoulder and drawing on the pages. She carefully flipped it open to the first page: _Mrs. Téa Kaiba_, it read in cursive, flowing letters.

She groaned, realizing once and for all that her life was over. "I didn't even _write_ that!" she shouted brazenly after Seto, but he was already marching away, back to a table at the other end of the library and behind a corner.

"I think," Téa said calmly to Melanie, "I would like to be insane."

"I think you already are," Melanie responded, trying to inject some humor into the situation. To her immense relief, Téa began to laugh.

"I've reverted to age five, is all," she said, shaking her head and leaning back in her chair. Briskly, she began to gather up the remnants from her backpack, sorting them quickly into their proper folders. "Really. Ever since I decided I had a 'crush' on Kaiba, I turned into a crazy little kid. I think I'm done with that, though. Now that there's truly no chance for me, maybe I can regain some semblance of normality." Melanie frowned slightly, but didn't say anything.

Téa changed the subject then, chatting amicably about the next dance practice and which exercises seemed to work best. Slightly guiltily, Melanie tuned her out, turning Téa's odd behavior over and over in her mind. _She must really like him_, she realized. _I guess that makes you go crazy, to a degree_. She sighed, then was pulled from her musings by the arrival of three of Téa's friends: Yugi Moto, Joey Wheeler, and Tristan Taylor.

"Hiya. What's shaking?" Tristan greeted, hooking his leg over a chair and plopping down.

Téa looked directly at him, wearing the bright smile of someone about to jump off a cliff, and laugh all the way down. "I just asked Seto Kaiba to the Spring Fling."

Joey's rear had no sooner touched the seat when it was up again, the blonde jumping around like the wood was made of coals. "You _what_?" he screeched. "Are you _insane_?"

"Pretty much," Téa admitted cheerfully. Then, as if realizing what she'd just done, her face fell again. She looked at Yugi, either for reassurance or because she was afraid of his reaction.

He simply shrugged. "Yami asked Serenity to the Spring Fling," he said, putting in his own contribution. "I guess a lot of new couples are popping up?"

"He _what_?" That was Tristan. Joey patted him on the arm reassuringly, a huge grin on his face, Téa's confession quickly forgotten.

Yugi and Téa ignored the other two. "I guess." She propped her head up on her arms. "Kaiba and I aren't exactly a couple, though. You can guess what his answer was."

"Oh." Yugi paused a moment. "Was that who you were talking about yesterday?"

She shrugged, then nodded.

"Oh." There was a moment of silence, and Téa stared blankly at the ceiling, counting tiles. Then Tristan stared piteously at Yugi, until the short duelist grew annoyed. "Geez, what _is_ it?"

"You've betrayed me," Tristan said mournfully. Yugi huffed.

"I did nothing of the sort," he started to pout, but Tristan couldn't keep a straight face any longer and began laughing. Joey joined in on the teasing, and Melanie poked fun at all three boys, and eventually Téa joined the mini-spat until the librarian stalked up and hushed them all.

If nothing else, she loved her friends.

* * *

"Hey, Yugi?" Joey asked later that day, as they wandered out of Algebra. "What did you mean, 'Yami' asked Serenity to the dance?" 

Yugi looked up in surprise, then remembered his statement in the library. "Oh, uh… well, you know I'm not the best dancer. So Yami agreed to take care of her for the most part. You know…"

"Hmm."

'_Nice save,'_ Yami commented.

'_Hardly,'_ Yugi snorted. '_Even Joey is too smart for that.'_

Joey was eyeing him speculatively. "Can I talk to him?" he asked suddenly.

Yugi winced. "Talk to who?" he asked innocently. A little _too_ innocently.

Joey just waited. Flushing a little, Yugi relinquished control, and allowed Yami to move in. "Afternoon," he greeted Joey.

"Hey, pal," the blonde replied, clapping him on the back. "Hey, I just wanted to know… Yugi said you were gonna be spending most of the time with Serenity. Is that right?"

"In all likelihood," Yami responded, his tone somewhat guarded.

"And I can trust you not to do anything funny?" Joey asked sharply.

Yami looked him directly in the eye. "You can trust me not to do anything 'funny', or anything that could in any possible way bring harm to Serenity," he vowed. "But, Joey. She is growing up, and you can't keep her alone forever."

Brief silence, except in Yami's head. '_YAMI! I have NO desire to be killed by my best friend! Did you HAVE to say that?'_ The former Pharaoh remained quiet.

"All right," Joey finally said, cracking his knuckles and rubbing them. He cleared his throat. "Then I guess there's only one thing to do." Yami waited apprehensively.

"I have to give you The Talk."

* * *

Téa looked up in surprise. She and Miho were settled in for Biology, and most of the other students were filtering into the room, waiting for the bell to ring in a few seconds. Yugi and Joey's seats were vacant for the moment, but she heard a shouting voice in the hall outside that sounded suspiciously like one of the missing boys. 

"_-and if you hurt her, I'll kill you!"_

Their teacher, a young, rather anxious woman, wrung her hands together. "Those two are always up to something," she muttered, before heading out into the hall, presumably to yank them inside.

"_-if I ever spot her crying or otherwise distressed, I'll be forced to assume it's your fault and come over to the Game Shop and personally kick your ass and- _ow! Okay, okay, sorry Miss Raymond."

"I want you two to apologize to each other," she was saying furiously.

"Oh, it's okay, Miss Raymond," Yugi hastily explained. "We weren't actually argu-"

"I don't care what you were or weren't doing," she interrupted briskly. "Say you're sorry and come on in. Class is starting."

Téa, and all the rest of her classmates, had turned around in their seats to stare at the door. Miho snickered, and people were whispering and giggling to each other. She started to face the front again, but her eyes got snagged by Seto. He was sitting, deliberately isolated from even his lab partner, and paying no attention to the conversation going on outside. His gaze was downward, likely reading from his notes or preparing for the day's lesson. Téa kept watching him, and after a moment he sensed her eyes upon him and tilted his head slightly to face her. Caught, she didn't immediately blush and turn away; she gave him a half-smile and lifted her head before turning to face the front of the room.

She gave into temptation and snuck a peek at Seto again, but he'd already turned back to his notebook. He wasn't smiling, of course; the illusion earlier had just been to lure her into his trap, and extract the information he wanted from her. Embarrassing. He was such a creep.

But such a smart, thoughtful, careful, good-looking creep.

She slumped back in her chair. It took more energy to hate someone than to neglect them. She supposed she should be grateful Seto paid her that much attention, at least.

She made up her mind. Based on past experience, she also could conclude that it took more energy to love someone than it did to hate him.


	3. Like and Love

Can't Hurt to Ask – Chapter 3 : Like and Love

Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh or any deliberate/accidental references to anything else.

Note: Note the "complete" status. This is the last chapter, EVER, and I'm not changing my mind or writing a sequel or "updat plz"ing. Enjoy!

* * *

On Monday, the Student Council opened ticket sales. These would run all week, and then the dance was on Saturday. Melanie was one of the class officers in the small booth in the lobby, selling the tickets and, in the process, learning all the new romance gossip.

"Did you know that Troy is going out with Julianna?" she grinned as Téa stepped up.

"I didn't," the brunette responded, rolling her eyes and laughing. "I wonder how long this one will last."

"I bet they break up _during_ the dance," Melanie predicted mischievously. Téa poked her in the shoulder.

"Stop gossiping and sell me a ticket," she joked, her eyes dancing.

"Sure thing, girl," Melanie responded, reaching for the roll, but hesitated before ripping one off. "Singles or couples?" she questioned, although pretty sure of the answer.

Téa began to reply, but an arm descended to her right, and a body settled in on her left. "A couple ticket, of course," the low, almost growling voice belonging to the body said.

She turned her head and immediately caught her breath. Seto eyed her, blue eyes boring into blue eyes, but neither of them said anything. Melanie, bless her, didn't say anything either, but quickly scribbled out the ticket. Seto tossed a bill onto the table, and Melanie hastily scrambled to get him his change. He picked that and the ticket up with his left hand, leaving his right arm leaning against the table and locking Téa into place. She had the distinct feeling that she was being tested.

_Okay, note to self: Do not break into giggles_.

Seto broke eye contact and glanced down, reading the ticket. "Starts at seven," he said, lifting his head to look at her again. "I'll pick you up at a quarter of." Mutely, Téa nodded. He stepped away, and she felt a cold rush of air hit her body.

_Note to self: Do not jump him right now, no matter how warm and cozy he would feel to hug_.

Who would have ever thought that Seto Kaiba was warm and cozy?

_Note to self: Remember first note to self! No laughing!_

"Be on time," he added, and it might have been rude if Téa hadn't been expecting it. She nodded, and somehow, forced herself to be the first one to walk away. He inclined his head toward her in farewell, and she repeated the gesture, and walked very calmly down the hallway. She headed calmly into an empty classroom, and sat calmly down, and a few seconds later Melanie came charging breathless into the room.

Then Téa buried her head in her friend's shoulder and screamed, and then dissolved into giggles.

* * *

"Hey- Serenity?" Téa questioned, twirling the phone cord between her fingers. "How are you?"

"Hi there, Téa!" the other girl responded happily. "I just got home from school; I'm doing great. It's good to hear from you again."

"Well, I figured that we'd get to see each other at the dance," Téa said, smiling into the receiver. "I heard the news."

Somehow, she knew that Serenity's face was bright red on the other end. "Oh- yes," she said, coughing discreetly. "Yes, well…"

"Do you have a dress yet?" Téa asked, sparing her the embarrassment of discussing Yugi again.

"Oh wow, I almost forgot. No, I don't- my mom and I were both busy this weekend. I meant to go after school on Wednesday."

"Do you want to go together?" Téa asked hesitantly. "I don't know if you had any special plans…"

"Oh, I'd _love_ to!" Serenity burst exuberantly. "That would be so great. You don't mind? Really? Is Wednesday good for you?"

"Wednesday's fine," Téa assured her. "Do you want to meet at the mall- say, three-thirty or so?"

"That's great," came Serenity's quick response. "Although- are you sure the mall is the best place to go?"

"I said _meet_ at the mall," Téa grinned. "We can hit a couple stores, but you're right- it's not the _best_ place to find dresses. But there are, on the other hand, several of my favorite boutiques within walking distance…"

"I'm in," Serenity giggled from the other end. "Oh, this'll be so much fun!"

"It will be," Téa agreed.

"…Did you mention if you were going with someone?" Serenity asked curiously. "It just occurred to me that I thought you'd be going with Yugi, if anyone…"

"Definitely not with Yugi," Téa emphasized. "He's all yours, girl." She heard a choke, and muffled snorts from the other end, and smiled into the receiver, still fiddling with the cord. She rearranged herself on the comfortable couch. "But, since you mention it… I do happen to have a date." An excited gasp came floating out of the earpiece. "You remember Seto Kaiba, right?"

* * *

"Black would look great on you," Serenity said doubtfully, holding up a swatch of cloth to Téa's skin. "But…"

"It's so overdone," Téa agreed before the redhead had a chance to say anything. "I was thinking classic blue. You can't go wrong with that."

"Especially with your eyes," Serenity said thoughtfully, tapping a nail to her chin. "But I wonder…" She grabbed a nearby sweater off a table and held it up. It was a deep blue, almost purple. "This looks good," she said encouragingly. "It makes your eyes look more violet."

"Not too violet, I hope," Téa giggled, taking the sweater and holding it in front of a mirror. Serenity was right; it _was_ a flattering color. "Now if only I could find a dress like this," she said, folding it neatly. "That color, I mean."

"Actually, a whole dress like that might be overkill," Serenity mused. "We'll have to see what turns up."

"What were you thinking about for yourself?" Téa questioned. "Light or dark colors, first of all?"

"Light," Serenity responded hesitantly. "I was thinking pastels."

"That'd be nice," Téa said encouragingly. "You know, now that we know what we want, whatd'ya say we hit the boutiques?"

"Onward, then," Serenity grinned, linking her arm with Téa's. The two girls headed out of the mall, into the warm spring day, and strolled companionably to the closest store.

"So. Were you happy when Yugi invited you to the dance?" Téa asked innocently. She nearly lost her balance and toppled over when Serenity stopped dead. "Whoa! Hey, Serenity, you're just lucky we're not in the middle of the street!"

"Téa," Serenity whispered, turning to face her and digging her fingers into the older girl's arm. Téa's eyebrows raised; she could read Serenity's face. This was something the other girl had wanted to say for a long time. "I was so happy I thought I was going to die," Serenity continued in a low voice, her eyes wide. "I really almost fainted."

Téa let out a low whistle. She half-expected Serenity to be blushing, but the redhead's cheeks were pale, almost white. Serenity looked shell-shocked, like she just realized what had happened. "I had no idea you liked Yugi so much," Téa commented.

"Oh- Yugi. I mean, Yugi's awesome. But have you ever noticed he sometimes… goes funny? Not _funny_," she added hastily when Téa looked at her curiously. "I mean different. His whole attitude changes. He gets all stiff, and formal, and strong and determined… and adorable…" she trailed off.

"Oh, I know what you mean," Téa said softly. "Has Joey told you about the Millennium Puzzle?"

"It's true then?" Serenity asked in a rush. "The story about the Pharaoh? That's the boy who sometimes takes over Yugi's body? When he duels? And when we're all in danger?"

"It's true, all right," Téa said, laughing ironically. "C'mon." She tugged at Serenity's arm. "I think you've heard it all before, but I'll re-explain while we go searching for a killer dress…"

* * *

Téa had spent most of Saturday – okay, most of the week – picturing an unbearably agonizing ten-minute ride to the dance in dead, oppressing silence with Seto Kaiba. Alone with him in his car? With his icy glare and stiff posture? She would have a nervous breakdown.

But it wasn't awkward in the way she feared. Although, typically, she didn't even get a gruff 'You look nice' out of him until they were almost at the school, he did speak.

"Good evening," he'd greeted her parents, albeit rather stiffly. He'd shaken hands with her father, posed with Téa for a picture taken by her mother; then the Gardners disappeared as Téa had beseeched them to. The pair made their way to the car, where Seto presented Téa with a white-rose corsage (and did she spot him blushing?), and they settled in the backseat while the hidden driver began the short trek to the school.

And then Seto delivered the longest speech she'd ever heard pass his lips that didn't involve Duel Monsters or power or how he was better than Yami.

"You understood that I meant 'yes', right?" he asked, leaning forward.

Téa really didn't want to deliver an undignified 'Huh?', and spoil the mood. She blinked at him, and cocked her head to the side.

"When you asked me to the dance. I didn't respond at the time, but obviously I meant 'yes'," Seto clarified.

"Oh." She wet her lips nervously. "I guess you did… because here we are, right?"

"Obviously." He leaned back. _Real nice_. "Do you know why I said yes?"

_Okay, so joking with him isn't the best strategy. Then again… I have to be light-hearted, because that's just who I am. And if I really like him, I owe it to Kaiba to show him that. I have to be honest with myself as well as him_.

"I assumed it was because I was so charming," she kidded lightly, feeling vindicated when the corners of his mouth relaxed into a half-smile. "And because you couldn't bear to break my heart."

"I enjoy breaking hearts," he said in a deadpan. For a moment, she was startled; unbidden images of sobbing fangirls came to mind, along with a whimpering Joey wearing that silly dog costume. But then Téa looked at him again, and he was smiling. Amazing.

He was joking back.

"You're an interesting person," he said, in another deadpan, but this time staring at her intensely. "I'm not going to live my life under a rock – no matter what people say about me, I am mostly human." (No way – was he joking again?) "But I'm not going to waste my time either. And something tells me that spending an evening with you wouldn't be a waste of my time."

When Téa found her breath, she joked weakly, "That's the highest praise I've ever received."

"That's the highest praise I've ever given," Seto shot back. They both laughed, Téa somewhat breathlessly. He reached over, like he was going to pick up her hand – but then the limo slid to a smooth stop. "We're here," he said, somewhat reluctantly.

That was when he muttered, sounding almost embarrassed, "By the way, you look nice."

* * *

Téa's dress was black at first glance, but if your eyes lingered for more than a second it appeared deep blue or green. Her large, exuberant eyes seemed to shift color along with the fabric and she looked more than just 'nice'. But she appreciated the guts Seto Kaiba had shown to say that; and consequentially none of the other compliments she received lifted her heart quite so much.

"Lookin' good, Téa!"

"Oh, honey, I _love _your dress!" Melanie shot her a quick wink, then spun away with her date.

"Awesome!" Miho whispered, although Téa had a feeling she was referring to Seto and not the way Téa looked.

Someone let loose a piercing wolf-whistle behind her. Both Téa and Seto spun around, ready to slug whoever had done that, but Téa relaxed when she caught sight of a beaming Joey. "Hey there!" she said, going as if to hug him. But as he lifted his arms, she changed her mind, and sent him a friendly punch in the shoulder instead. "How're you doing?" she asked sweetly, _daring_ him to punch her back.

Joey rolled his eyes, rubbing his arm. "Fine, you win that round, Téa. Nice to see you too." His eyes shifted warily to Seto, who was eyeing him back with equal trepidation. "Hey, Moneybags."

"Mutt," Seto snapped.

Someone tapped the blonde on the shoulder. "Hey, Joey, wanna dance?"

"Sure," he said quickly, flashing a farewell wink at Téa and hurrying to escape Seto. Next to her, Téa felt her date relax.

"Nervous?" she teased, without even thinking about it.

"I don't do so well in social situations," he responded wryly. On impulse, Téa grabbed his hand. "Want to dance?" she offered. "Or do you want to get a drink first?"

She saw Seto's eyes travel, longingly, over to the nice safe refreshments table where they could sit safely away from the music and moving bodies. But then he looked back at her, and took a deep breath. "Let's dance," he said, with visible determination.

Téa's face broke out into a smile. _So sweet_… she thought dreamily, as they carefully merged onto the dance floor. She helped him position his arms, but Seto was surprisingly good at dancing and fell into the motions easily. _I bet he has to practice for all those formal dinners at KaibaCorp_, she thought briefly. _Plus, he's a fast learner in general_.

She felt occasional surprised looks shot at her, and especially Seto – "so he's finally broken out of his shell", someone across the room joked – but decided to mostly concentrate on not fainting.

* * *

Where Tea had gone with an alluring dark dress, Serenity had opted (with the older girl's advice) to go for a pale, creamy dress with modest lining but a form-fitting figure. She entered with Yugi – Yami, really – looking around for a familiar face. She spotted her brother, dancing with a large group of people, including Tristan. She waved, but Joey didn't see her.

"Would you like to dance over to him?" Yami offered, looking down at her gently and holding out a hand. Her cheeks went hot and she nodded wordlessly. Serenity carefully, carefully, stepped into his arms and began dancing to the light music playing in the background. Like Téa, she was concentrating very hard on staying coherent, acutely aware of her… _date_. _God he's my date_, Serenity thought wildly. _Good thing Joey doesn't know how happy I am right now or I have a feeling I'd be on a leash…_ She could feel Yami staring at her, could see his wide smile out of the corner of her eye, but was too thrilled and terrified to look up. She stared intently at his shoulder, alternately biting her lip and forcing herself to stop.

Serenity had no idea that Yami's blissful happiness was enough to rival hers. Yugi, watching his partner and sensing his emotions, was shocked to find out how much he cared for Joey's younger sister. '_Wow!'_ he sent to Yami, but his friend was completely lost in his own thoughts.

Serenity had such an animated face, Yami mused. It was a lucky thing for him, too, because otherwise he might have wasted a lot of time being nervous and wondering if she felt the same way. But though she tried to suppress the nervous glee flickering across her features, he could tell that she did, in fact, feel the same way.

_Now to let her know_, Yami thought with relief. Snaking his arms just a little bit tighter around her, he leaned down and murmured in her ear, "I'm glad Joey suggested this. I wouldn't have known how to approach you."

A terrific blush sprouted from Serenity's neck and crept across her face. Looking at Yami, and seeing his fond amusement, she pulled herself together enough to reply. "What, the King of Games not know how to do something?" she teased. "You probably could have just challenged me to a duel."

"No no no," Yami replied, shaking his head. "Duels and romance should never go together. After all, that would mean that Seto Kaiba has been watching me from afar for quite a while, and I refuse to believe that."

A giggle bubbled out from Serenity's lips. "They should _never_ go together?" she asked innocently. "Well, that's too bad, because I've been looking for a good teacher to spend some quality time with-"

"Oh, I never say never," Yami said quickly.

He pulled her slightly closer, and she willingly snuggled in. "Should we go find Joey now?" she asked after a pause, somewhat reluctantly.

"Don't be nervous," Yami assured her. "He already gave me The Talk."

"He- he what? Oh, no-" Serenity rolled her eyes and theatrically pounded her head. "Ohh, Joey, when I get my hands on you-"

Yami chuckled and grabbed her hands. "He and I have been friends for a long time," he assured her. "It'll be okay."

Their eyes met; each drew a quick breath. "Yes, everything will be," Serenity whispered, smiling shyly.

* * *

"Shall we get a drink?" Téa asked for the second time that night – but not, as before, to give Seto a way out. This time it was because she was tired and thirsty from nearly an hour of spinning around the floor with her surprisingly energetic date, and she wanted a break.

Seto eyed her up and down, sending pleasurable tingles down her spine. "Hot?" he asked, with a small smirk, noting her flushed skin and the pleased gleam in her eyes.

Téa laughed, feeling daring. "Who is?" she joked, grabbing his hand and leading him to the refreshment table. He stopped her reach and poured her a cup of punch himself. _The perfect gentleman_, she thought with mild wonderment. _When I first met him, I never would have known_.

She took a sip of punch, and as she lowered the cup, she caught Seto looking at her with an intensity that made her start a little. A miracle again – he slowly smiled at her, and her heart skipped a beat. She smiled back, open and warm as always.

He suddenly reached out and snagged her cup, putting hers and his back on the table. "It's a slow song," he said as the music changed tempo. "Finally. I've been waiting for a decent one all night."

Téa was mildly shocked, but perfectly willing to go along, as he steered her out on the dance floor. He brought her up against his body, and she relaxed into him, surprised at how comfortable he was. _So it wasn't that stupid a crush all along_, she thought ironically. _Who would have guessed that this would turn out so… right?_

She wondered if he would kiss her, but pushed that hope firmly from his mind. It was their first date – if you could call it that – and they were surrounded by people. Seto Kaiba was notoriously private, not to mention cautious and methodical.

A shift of his stance – she lifted her head slightly – and suddenly his lips were firmly on hers, his hands clasped around her waist.

She forgot that he was also confident, that he liked to take action, and that he was also smart enough to recognize a good thing when it walked up to you and asked you on a date.

Téa kissed back.


End file.
